Springfree Trampoline
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Established in 2003, Springfree Trampoline is a trampoline manufacturer credited with creating the first alternative to the traditional spring-based trampoline. The design, which replaced metal springs with fiberglass rods as the main mechanism for producing the bounce, was created by Keith Vivian Alexander, a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.[1] Led by the entrepreneurial efforts of CEO Steve Holmes, Springfree has grown into one of the most relevant trampoline brands in the industry, with roots across the globe.
History
After analysing trampoline data in 1992, Alexander noted three impact zones affecting jumper safety in the George Nissen trampoline design. These were:
- The springs – on the jumping surface.
- The steel frame – on the jumping surface/ jumpers may fall and injure themselves.
- The ground or obstructions on the ground – jumpers would hit as a result of falling off.
Alexander's goal was to increase the trampoline's safety by re-engineering the spring technology. In 1999, Alexander released his first prototype utilising glass-reinforced plastic rods, and the first commercial versions began selling in late 2004. In 2009, Springfree Trampoline won an Australian Design Award.[2]
Design
The Springfree trampoline's design includes the use of glass-reinforced plastic rods articulating below the jumping surface, as opposed to the radiating steel spring coils of a Nissen trampoline. The jumping surface is lowered around 450mm below the jumping surface of a traditional trampoline, and the base's rigidity is derived from a tubular steel assembly with angled supports.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Associate Professor Keith Alexander – University of Canterbury
- ^ [1] Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine